Informal Requests

When you make an informal request for information, the department that has this information may charge you a fee to cover its costs in processing your request. Each department is responsible for setting its own fees.

FOI Requests

If there are extensive costs involved in retrieving and reproducing records to meet the request, you will be provided with a fee estimate before the application is fully processed that includes a breakdown of the individual costs being charged. We may also require a deposit.

The City may waive all or partial fees based what is fair and equitable in the circumstances of your request, including whether the payment will cause financial hardship or whether the requested records relate to a matter of public interest.

There is, however, no charge for your own personal information or for the first three hours spent searching for and retrieving the records.

To reduce fees and to minimize taxpayer expense, please narrow your request as much as possible. If possible, please let us know what department has the records you are requesting. Please specify a date range of the records you are requesting.

Bylaw complaint records are only available through a formal FOI request. In accordance with City Policy 5.29, personal information that is reasonably capable of identifying a particular individual either alone or when combined with information available from other sources, where the information reasonably permits identification of the individual to those seeking to collect, use or disclose it, will not be released.

Pursuant to Section 15(1)(d) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act the City will not reveal the identity [complainant name, personal information of the complainant or information that reasonably permits the identification of the complainant] of a confidential source of law enforcement information. Personal information recorded about an identifiable individual, including the complainant and alleged violator shall be kept confidential unless written consent for disclosure is received from that person.

Informal Requests

You should always start by making an informal request. To do this, contact the department that you think might have the information you are looking for.

FOI Requests

If you are told that information is not routinely available, then you may make an FOI request for records containing that information. Your FOI request must be made in writing and must specify whether you want to receive copies of the records or view the records in person. FOI Request Forms are available online above on this page or can be downloaded as a pdf format and then by submitted by hand, mail, email or fax to:

Informal Requests

When you make an informal request for information, the department that has this information may charge you a fee to cover its costs in processing your request. Each department is responsible for setting its own fees.

FOI Requests

If there are extensive costs involved in retrieving and reproducing records to meet the request, you will be provided with a fee estimate before the application is fully processed that includes a breakdown of the individual costs being charged. We may also require a deposit.

The City may waive all or partial fees based what is fair and equitable in the circumstances of your request, including whether the payment will cause financial hardship or whether the requested records relate to a matter of public interest.

There is, however, no charge for your own personal information or for the first three hours spent searching for and retrieving the records.

To reduce fees and to minimize taxpayer expense, please narrow your request as much as possible. If possible, please let us know what department has the records you are requesting. Please specify a date range of the records you are requesting.

Informal Requests

When you make an informal request, the department you approach will respond to you as quickly as possible. Depending on the kind of information you are requesting, you may be able to get an answer over the phone.

FOI Requests

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act requires us to respond to your FOI request within 30 days of receiving it (we may extend this time if your request is especially complicated). The Act allows us to withhold information if the release would be an invasion of privacy or cause harm by one of the means listed in the act, such as harming a law enforcement investigation or threatening an individual’s health or safety.

If we deny you access to any record or part of a record, you have the right to ask for a review by the independent Information and Privacy Commissioner, an officer of the legislature who is independent of the government. A decision of the Commissioner is final, subject to certain limited judicial reviews.

If we have your personal information, it may be contained in a number of different files. If you believe that we have personal information about you, you should contact the department where you think this personal information is located and ask for that information. If you are unsure which department may have this information, please contact the Corporate Officer for assistance.

To minimize taxpayer expense, please specify what kind of information you are requesting. You should not make an FOI request for your personal information unless you are unable to get what you need through informal channels.

The Act protects personal privacy by restricting the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. Please note that only private individuals have personal privacy rights, businesses do not.

Collection

We only collect personal information when we have the clear authority to do so, or when the collection is related directly to and is necessary for an operating program. When we are collecting personal information, we must do so directly from you, unless we have legal authority to collect the information from another source. These rules apply even if another government body holds the personal information.

Use and Disclosure

The personal information must only be used for the purpose it was collected or for a use consistent with the reason it was collected. We may also use or disclose personal information in other ways, but only if we have legal authority to do so. We have security arrangements to protect personal information from unauthorized use or disclosure.

For example, we will usually disclose copies of any letters you send to the City after removing your name, address, telephone number and any information that may reasonably be used to identify you.

We will make an exception to this rule when we deem that releasing your name and address would not be an unreasonable invasion of your privacy. For example, we will usually release your name and address if you sent a copy of your letter to Mayor and Council or to any person or organization outside of the City.

If you believe there is an error or omission in your personal information, you have the right to request us to correct it. We will carefully consider your request and respond to you as soon as possible.